Data or statistical facts on the situation and perspectives of agri-food systems and the impact of policies
8,000 years old are the earliest evidences of avocado use in Mesoamerica, with archaeological evidence of its food and ritual importance in pre-Incan cultures from approximately 1500 B.C. in South America (Velásquez, A., 2025).
51% of global investment in research and development corresponds to North America and Europe, while Asia represents 39%, leaving only the remaining 10% for other regions including Latin America, according to UNESCO data (2021) (Velásquez, A., 2025).
1% of GDP exceeds Brazil's investment in science and technology, being the only country in Latin America and the Caribbean that reaches this threshold, according to CAF's Agricultural Prosperity Strategy based on UNESCO data (Velásquez, A., 2025).
15% is estimated as the growth in agricultural innovation that could be achieved in Latin America through the implementation of CAF's Agricultural Prosperity Strategy, which promotes financing, training, and equitable access to new technologies adapted to the region (Velásquez, A., 2025).
500% has increased agricultural productivity in the last seven decades thanks to the incorporation of scientists and technologists from various areas, from genetics to irrigation, fertilization, mechanization, and recently robotics, digitalization, and biotechnology (Velásquez, A., 2025).
2% of global investment in agricultural research and development corresponds to Latin America and the Caribbean, well below North America and Europe (51%) or Asia (39%), according to UNESCO data (2021) cited by CAF (Velásquez, A., 2025).
More than 130 thousand metric tons of avocado are imported from Mexico for guacamole preparation during the American Superbowl, evidencing the cultural and commercial impact of this product in the North American market (Velásquez, A., 2025).
190 thousand million metric tons annually reach the volume of international corn trade, a cereal that evolved from teosinte thanks to domestication by the Aztecs and other indigenous peoples of Mexico and Central America (Velásquez, A., 2025).
7,000 germplasm accessions of Andean potato are preserved at the International Potato Center, with an estimated 4,000+ Andean varieties being edible, constituting an important treasure of world agrobiodiversity (Velásquez, A., 2025).
85% of Argentine wine export revenues come from fine wines, representing a significant improvement in quality and added value of the wine sector (McDermott, 2005).
